After the Rain Again
by Sqiggles
Summary: General series. Set after Time Skip. Fate had many twists and turns, making it nearly impossible to predict. Those who did where left broken and scared, so many were glad that they didn’t.


**Complete Summery:**  
Fate had many twists and turns, making it nearly impossible to predict. Those who did where left broken and scared, so many were glad that they didn't.  
Fate was what bound them. Its threads bound them tightly, back to back, hand to hand. It was fate that bound them, but duty that kept them there.

Disclaimer and extra information at the bottom.  
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He stood, half leaning against the wall, with a book in hand. His book forgotten as he stared into the room where the medic-nins were rushing to save the life of one of the village elders. Coincidently, the exact same elder that had sentenced his student to the life of disdain that he had suffered.

The medic-nins worked furiously, trading off one after another to try to save the man's mind. Kakashi sighed in annoyance when it became obvious that the nins were losing the battle. One of the nins slowly walked over to him, ready to explain what he had already known. They had failed, yet another lead was lost.

Kakashi swore, this was becoming ridiculous; the Hokage didn't have any idea as to why people were breaking down left and right. It had become too serious; the village would be put into danger if they did not handle this quickly.

He raised his uncovered eye to the grey sky, remembering the words of one of the "seers" that he had gotten to just before she had broken as well.

"Death will follow the fifteen who wait, starting with the sealed boy who tempts fate."

He shook his head and pushed off the wall, disappearing into the drizzling rain.

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Hinata and Sakura were sitting on a bench in the waiting room of the hospital. Things hadn't been all that hectic in Konoha lately. The main injuries that the two medic-nins got were children with broken bones or students with cuts and scrapes.

"Neji-nii-kun is teaching me now."

Sakura nodded, a smile growing on her face.

"I'm glad that you two ar-"

She was abruptly cut off as two field medic-nins came rushing in. The taller of the two immediately started yelling orders, one of which was to get the Hokage. They wheeled the stretcher past the two with grave expressions on their faces. Sakura and Hinata looked without being able to help themselves. Sakura gasped and Hinata covered her mouth, fear welling up inside them both.

On the stretcher was a male with vibrant yellow hair. His hair was tinged slightly red, blood from some unknown wound. There was only one inhabitant of Konoha that had the same color hair. 

Uzumaki Naruto.

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Sasuke jumped back, hands raised in a defensive stance. He eyed his opponent before taking a step back and raising a quick hand to wipe the gathered blood and grime away from his mouth. At his opponents smirk he activated his Sharingan, barely avoiding the tongue that shot out. And the snakes that followed.

_'Damn, even when he's weak…'_

He growled, his cold eyes raising to meet snake-like ones. At Orochimaru's mocking glance he glared, only to intensify it when Kabuto walked into the room. He watched for a moment as the blond whispered into his master's ear before turning to leave. Their training session was over.

He walked into the courtyard and then continued to the small stream that ran through the house. Sasuke grabbed the towel from around his waist and wet it, wiping his face off before moving to his arms. All the while trying to ignore the growing feeling that something was very, very, wrong. 

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Kiba growled, the scent was becoming faint. Shikamaru landed beside him, followed by Shino, Lee, and Neji. Another member of the village had gone missing; they were here to track him.

"What's wrong Kiba?"

Akamaru growled, looking straight ahead through the rain.

"We lost the fucking scent."

Shino raised an eyebrow but shrugged.

"My bugs are still following him."

Shikamaru nodded and made a motion that signaled them to get back into positions. They took off soon after; Shino quietly listening to the directions the bugs gave him.

Kiba tried once more to pick up the scent, head going from one side to the other in an attempt to find it.

"Hold it!"

Shikamaru couldn't ignore this feeling, the feeling that everything was going to hell.

They looked back at Shikamaru who then threw his thumb backwards towards Neji. Neji deactivated his Byakugan and shook his head.

"Look down."

They all followed his orders, Kiba jumping from the tree to land right beside the missing-nin as Shino chose to move to the lowest branch.

"He's dead."

"Great, we lost another one. What'll Tsunade say? How troublesome…" 

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With much difficulty Choji handed her a box of chips.

"You said you were hungry…"

She sighed, deciding that hitting him would be a waste of energy. Instead she took the offered bag out of his hand.

"Thanks."

They continued their walk, Choji looking preoccupied but he wasn't the only one.

"I'm worried too…"

He turned to look at the pale yellow haired girl.

"I'm not."

His eyes betrayed his words. She locked arms with him, trying to provide comfort. He had recently been released from the hospital… again, and was not healed enough to go on A-rank missions.

A clap of thunder shook the earth and Ino wavered slightly, falling over the bridge into the rushing water below…

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The Akatsuki members moved quietly, one after another, to a hidden cave. The time was coming; they had six out of the nine youma. The sealed boy, Uzumaki Naruto, was next on their list.

"Itachi, you'll go back into Konoha to get the holder. Take Kisame with you."

His eyes narrowed at the thought of going back to his home. He nodded and then disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing outside of the cave.

_'Uzumaki Naruto… this should prove to be interesting.'_

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He stood on a cliff that overlooked the city. He had come to enjoy watching sunrises from the mountains that surround the city.

"Oi, Gaara… what're you doing way out here?"

His brother yawned before coming to stand behind him.

"… what do you want?"

"Nothing, Temari was worried when you weren't in your room."

"… I see."

Gaara turned his attention back to the sun, it's beauty as it broke over the everlasting desert around them.

"Shit…"

Kankuro's words got caught in his throat, a appreciative whisper instead of a yell.

His brother had one hell of a taste, that's for sure. The two brothers watched as light touched sand, creating a normal yet beautiful effect.

The moment was shattered when Gaara turned to him.

"Temari… where is she?"

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She sighed, she desperately needed a drink, and a few more hours sleep. 

Tsunade flipped through another folder of reports, beginning to read.

'So, Shikamaru failed to bring back another sample.'

She signed the bottom, signaling that she had indeed read it. It would be her luck that Shizune asked her about a report she didn't read over. She chuckled and moved on to the next report… and she could swear that her heart stopped.

_'Naruto!'_

She was on her feet, the chair swiveling behind her, at the same time as the medic-nins were rushing in.

"Hokage-sama! The hospital requests your help. Uzumaki Naruto has been brought back…"

They didn't even see her and she rushed past them, mind set on one thing.

_'Naruto…'_

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Orochimaru smirked; everything was going according to plan. He nodded to Kabuto before moving into his laboratory. He watched as his right hand prepared all the necessary items for the upcoming jutsu.

_'Kabuto would never betray me…'_

And he failed to notice the pained eyes of the other male as he picked up a bottle of blood. 

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I don't own Naruto.

I have a few requests for kind people. One of which is that if you are able to link me to a site that has summaries of chapters 279+ then I'd be grateful since I have realized that I'm twenty chapters behind the current storyline and have no clue what's happening.

The second is that if you really like a character and happen to have a bio on them then could you please fill out this:

**Example:**  
Name: Uchiha Sasuke  
Age: 15   
Birthday?  
Rank: Missing-nin  
Family: Uchiha Itachi  
Skills: Sharingan  
Jutsu: (enter here)  
Specialty: Chidori  
Type of Nin??  
Village: (Konoha) Sound  
Extra: He left Konoha with Orochimaru to join the Sound ninja.

For just about every character. Trust me, it'll help me with the chapter updates. 

Thank you very much for reading! To find out more then go to my live journal, which is linked, on my profile page.


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